Defense Secretary Robert Gates told hundreds of airmen at Seymour-Johnson AFB, N.C., there’s the possibility that Osama bin Laden’s death “could be a game changer” in Afghanistan. “Bin Laden and [Taliban leader] Mullah Omar had a very close personal relationship. There are others in the Taliban who have felt betrayed by al Qaeda, that it was because of al Qaeda’s attack on the United States that the Taliban got thrown out of Afghanistan. So we’ll have to see what that relationship looks like,” Gates said Friday. He said, however, it could take up to six months to determine the full effect of the terrorist leader’s death. US special forces killed bin Laden May 1 inside his compound in the military town of Abbottabad, Pakistan, roughly 35 miles north of Islamabad. (Gates transcript) (See also AFPS report by Jim Garamone)
Pentagon Releases Cost of Living, BAH Rates for 2026
Dec. 30, 2025
The Pentagon will pay cost of living allowances to 127,000 service members in the continental U.S. in 2026, an increase of 66,000 members in 2025. Airmen and Guardians across the U.S. will also receive an average increase of 4.2 percent for their Basic Housing Allowance, compared to the 5.4 percent…
